Coincidentally In Love
by SassyxSnarkyxBrunette
Summary: {au, michael x oc, see notes} Lana and Michael never actually met face to face. They attended the same school, they had a few of the same friends and both sort of liked the other. But before Michael went to prison, Lana came onto his radar. Now that he's out and he's been out, and he's going through a break up with Kiki Jerome and they're thrown together, what will happen for them?
1. Disclaimer

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own General Hospital or any of the cast members and plots they've done or will do. This story is NOT meant to make money, nor is it in any way shape or form true (or canon correct, just saying). It's a work of my own imagination, which means I made it up. I only own my oc and the situation I've taken the liberty of throwing her into.

**About the Story:**

**Rating:**

Because I'm hellishly paranoid, it's gonna be a T/M story. There will be swearing, violence and sex. This is a fanfiction for a soap opera, people, so yes, those things will all be present.

**Time frame:**

Current one with slight changes. Michael and Kiki will not be together. Sorry but I have no love for that ship. And I think Michael III is sexy as hell. And the current storylines for him bore me to tears, there's so much more stuff I wanna see happen.

So this is me.. Writing it.

**AU or Canon True:**

99.9 percent AU however it does loosely follow current storylines with my own spin on them. If this is gonna bother, you might not wanna read what follows this.

Let it be noted, however, that his relationship with Abby and Starr never happened. It's just Kiki and they're broken up at this point. I didn't like Abby either, and I only shipped Cole with Starr. So yeah, gonna ignore those two relationships in this story.

Also, Michael was in prison one hell of a lot longer than he was on the actual show. For storyline purposes, of course. The rape did happen, I won't take that out, he has to have had some struggles.

**Pairings:**

OC X Michael III

**Characters used:**

PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE CAST, BUT IT'S OC X ? CENTRIC, SONNY CENTRIC. IF YOU DON'T LIKE SONNY YOU WON'T LIKE THIS.

**OOC Warnings:**

NOT SURE YET.

**About my original character, Lana:**

**full name:**

Lana Marie Britton

**nicknames:**

only call her Lana. Nothing else.

**age:**

21

**looks:**

Stands about 5'2, weighs about 125 lbs and is moderately curvy. She's got a little meat on her bones but she's not fat. She has medium length light brown (almost sandy blonde) hair that has bangs and she normally wears half up and half down, or in fish tail braids. Wears prescription glasses almost all the time.

Prefers jeans and t shirts, cardigans and layering shirts. Has a small nose ring and 3 piercings in each ear.

When she does dress up she loves vintage clothing. She's kinda like a little old lady trapped in a 21 year old body.

**personality:**

Protective

Down to Earth

sensitive

quiet

Good sense of humor

can be sarcastic and a little dirty minded at times.

Intelligent

Easily made jealous

Competitive

Stubborn

Quick tempered

Affectionate

Grumpy

Observant

Blunt with honesty and opinions

Overthinks things

Worries too much

Gets scared but tries to pretend she's not

Private

**relationship status:**

Currently single. Last guy she dated was in 9th grade and that didn't go well. She spent most of her high school career taking care of her younger siblings because her father was in Pentonville and her mother was a junkie and wouldn't take care of them, didn't want to clean up and be a parent.

**occupation:**

Is majoring in Education (she wants to be a kindegarten teacher) but has a minor in Performing Arts. She tried modeling and dancing, did a little acting but she quickly realized that her persona didn't suit a high profile kind of life.

**likes:**

makeup

scented candles

high heels

sleeping late

romantic movies

long hot baths

listening to music

going for drives

dancing

reading

watching horror movies

the color pale blue

swimming

going to the beach

oldies music

photography

Italian food

Thai food

traveling

cooking

junk food

red wine

massages, giving and getting

**dislikes:**

being too cold

waking up early

being sick or on bedrest

being told what to do or what not to do

the sight of blood

small spaces

having her cheeks pinched

food that's burnt

food that has no taste

wearing heels and having her feet hurt because of it

being babied

clowns

large flocks of birds

having things handled for her

people she can't trust

making speeches

seeing anyone she cares about in pain or upset and hurt and not being able to do anything about it.

being too cold

small spaces


	2. Coincidences

PROLOGUE

_SECRET LOVE NOTES_

_She must have written to him a thousand times in that journal of hers. He never saw, of course, nobody did, really. Michael Corinthos III wasn't a guy who associated with the lower life forms walking the halls of Madison Prep, at least she kinda had him pegged that way._

_She'd had a huge crush on him since about 3__rd__ grade, really, she'd just never spoken up. Either the timing wasn't ever good enough, or she'd lose her nerve. Now they were in high school.. She was, rather.._

_Michael, however, was on his way to Pentonville for murdering his father's wife Claudia because she'd kidnapped his baby sister Josslyn and was going to try and kill his mother when Carly tried to stop it from happening._

_He'd made one simple mistake._

_Now he was staring down the stretch of a lengthy prison sentence. _

_He wouldn't get out until he was 21 at the very least. It seemed like forever and she knew the chance to tell him how she really felt was slipping rapidly through her fingers like the sand in an maybe it was a blessing in disguise that she left her journal full of love letters to one Michael Corinthos III behind in an English classroom that Kristina Corinthos Davis had the next period._

_Kristina found those letters._

_And she did what any sister who wanted the best for her brother would do. She slipped them to him as the police officers lead him away to the waiting prison bus._

_He looked at her and then at the journal and she explained quietly, "There's something in there you need to know."_

_He took the journal and hid it carefully so it wouldn't be confiscated._

_And for the next few years, he read it front to back._

_By the end of his sentence, the thing was worn thin and almost falling apart and he felt much like the journal looked._

_But he had a tiny shred of hope._

_Even though he was damaged goods now, he still held out that small glimmer of hope._

_The sad thing is that when he did get out, he couldn't find the girl who'd written the journal._

_He wouldn't until he was 23 and going through a breakup with his girlfriend Kiki._

_But when he did.._

_**CHAPTER ONE**_

_**COINCIDENCES**_

It's been said over and over again that in life there are no such thing as coincidences. So when the journal fell out of his closet while he was digging through it for something entirely different, Michael, of course, thought nothing of it. He put the journal aside but he didn't toss it back into the closet for whatever reason.

And for the next few days, the journal and it's mysterious writer weighed heavily on his mind. But Kristina didn't know a name, so she couldn't help him find the girl who'd written it. He figured that even if she could, things might have changed between then and now. Look at his life, all the changes in it.

Whoever wrote all that in her journal might have moved on. Or forgotten all about him. But he hadn't forgotten about her. And he'd really have liked to know who she was. But he just felt like it was impossible, like maybe he wasn't meant to know.

But, like a wise person once said. "There is no such thing as coincidence"

And he was about to get his answers after all this time. And Lana was about to get what she'd always wanted. A chance with Michael Corinthos III.

He'd just stepped onto the elevator in his apartment building about 2 weeks later when a girl called out "Hey sir! Can you please hold the door?" and rushed in, arms full, soaked by the rain that'd started falling an hour or so earlier.

Michael steadied her and then said with a smile, "It's really coming down now, huh?" as Lana nodded and said with a shrug "It's my own damn fault. I could've gotten a cab but noooo.. Had to be stubborn and walk all the way back tonight."

"From where?"

"Work." Lana answered as she tried to control her horomones. She kept trying to tell herself that Michael III was a crush and it was just a phase in her life when she was a kid. He'd never noticed her then, why would he now?

And even if he did, they were hardly in the same social circles. She was from the bad part of town, he was a mob kingpin's son for crying out loud. It'd never work and if it did, she'd mess it up sooner or later.

She tended to be good at making a real mess of things.

"Where's work?" Michael asked, curious. But he also had this feeling of deja vu, like he'd seen her before or something, or he knew her somehow. She looked at him and said quietly, "One of the clubs downtown. I'm a bartender, sometimes I dance on the bar. It pays the bills while I go to school. Do I know you?" while mentally kicking herself.

Did she know him.. That was a joke if she ever heard one. Of course she knew him. Until she'd lost the damn thing, she'd had a journal full of observations and fanstasies about him.

But hey, she was trying to save face and play it cool.

Michael shrugged and then said "It is a small town.. Maybe I met you before somewhere?"

"Where'd you go to high school?" Lana asked as he said at the same time as her, "Madison Prep."

She smiled a little and said quietly, "On a scholarship though. I think I remember you.. It's Michael, right?"

"Yeah.. I can't.. I don't remember your name, actually.I feel really bad about that."

"Don't. It's not like it's your fault, Michael." Lana said casually as the elevator dinged and came to a stop, the door sliding open. She thanked him for helping her with her things and stepped off the elevator her legs shakier than they'd ever been in their life.

"Wow.. I only thought he was hot in high school. And he's still the same moderately nice guy." Lana mused with a smile as she turned the key in the lock of her apartment.

On the elevator, Michael noticed a slip of paper that she'd dropped. The writing was enough to stop him in his tracks and then he realized just who the girl on the elevator just now had been.

And he sighed. She must have moved on, after all.

She hadn't remembered him just now.

But knowing her name made him curious about her, so naturally, when he was back in his own apartment, he signed on to his laptop and started to dig around. Just a little bit, he thought, just enough to satisfy the curiousity, try to figure out what she saw in him back then.

He found out a lot about her and then he realized that he'd actually had a crush on her first.. But it was before his coma, when they were both in about the 5th grade. This made him smile a little and smiling felt good because with his recent breakup and dealing with what happened to him in Pentonville and his father's death now, he hadn't had a whole lot to smile about.

He got the feeling that like most other things in life, he'd bumped into her on the elevator tonight for a reason.

In her apartment, Lana decided ot just google him a little bit, maybe see what he'd gotten up to when he'd gotten out of prison. She'd been out of state, in college so she was out of touch with nearly all of her friends from high school.

She searched and read and realized that anything she felt then hadn't really ever disappeared. She'd just sort of forgotten it with everything else she had going on in her life during that time period. And her mother, before she'd become an addict and Lana's life had fallen apart had always told her "There's no such thing as a coincidence, Lana. If something happens, usually when you stop and think it over, there's a damn good reason for it. It's up to you to find out if you want to know that reason or not."

Lana realized that maybe she kind of did want to know why their paths crossed again. But she was also worried that maybe he had his own life now. Why just start popping up at random and building a friendship when she knew her little secret, the things she fantasized about him back in high school?

If he'd ever found out, she'd have been mortified, definitely. Because he probably would have laughed his ass off.

Little did either of them realize that their meeting had happened for a reason.. And it was the first of many ahead.

And that eventually, the two would get to know each other personally.

For now, both parties involved just thought it was a coincidence.


	3. Working Girl

_**CHAPTER TWO  
**_

_**WORKING GIRL  
**_

"Seriously, you ladies call yourselves burlesque dancers?" Lana muttered to herself as she watched the group of girls she'd been sought out to train for the 2014 Nurses Ball, apparently they were going to do some kind of Moulin Rouge throwback as an opener and seeing as how she worked in a burlesque themed bar, well.. She was probably their go to girl for the routine, especially when you factor in that she'd lived in Vegas for a while, worked at a burlesque club out there too.. Biting her nails, she stretched a set of long and shapely legs out and upward, reclining them on the buffet table's ledge.

"Well?" Lucy asked as Lana held a finger to her lips and then mused aloud, "What they've got is cute, but... Don't you want sexy? I mean the guys have that Magic Milo thing.. I sort of saw it earlier." as she mentally thought to herself _'Yeah, you couldn't take your eyes off of Michael either now could ya? That boy and that body. Unff.' _ which had her getting distracted which of course made Lucy snap her fingers in her face and ask again, "What's missing?"

"Basically? Chairs, the music, the moves.. I can show them some moves, Lucy, but I'm not a miracle worker. Just a lowly cabaret girl who did that because she loves to dance and she's trying to work her way through college. One thing.. I wanna be in the number too. I am in, right? I've been bored lately, why not." even as her stomach tickled nervously and she wondered what the hell she was trying to prove, and who she was trying to prove it to, exactly.

_'Oh come off it, Lana, you know exactly who you're trying to prove something to, you saw him a few minutes ago. Everything was good until you ran into him on the elevator last week. Now it's like the infatuation is back and it's oh so much worse. And he'll never go for a nothing girl like you, Lana, you're trash. You hear me girl? Trash. Same as your mother.' _she thought to herself, her subconscious even making that last part sound like her late father, his words slurring, she could even smell the whiskey that would've been on his breath.

Lucy distracted her again, thankfully when she asked next, "Don't you still work at that little cabaret on the docks? The one Johnny Zacharra used to own?" which made Lana nod silently, focused now on watching the girls she was going to have to work with on this dance number, trying to pinpoint just how much work they had to do in how small a time frame.

They had a lot to do, but Lana felt this surprising burst of confidence that she could do it and it'd be fun to dance again. She'd dreamt of being a dancer when she was a little girl, but she'd grown up and she'd realized that her passions and dreams... They'd never pay the bills.

"I'm thinking Lady Marmalade." Lana said as she sprang gracefully from the chair and walking towards the practice stage at the front of the room. "Okay, girls, so here's the deal.. We're supposed to be sexy. Where's it at, huh?"

The group of females looked at her, brows raised. She shrugged and crossing her arms said "Let me show you what I do." before plugging her Iphone into a docking port near the stereo and scrolling through her Zumba workout playlist. She found Buttons by the Pussycat Dolls and started to do a loosely choreographed freestyle, stopping only long enough to take the vacant chair next to Michael, who sat nearby watching intently for some reason or another, while eating a yogurt cup.

Michael watched the grown up version of the girl he knew now had written the journal full of things that'd given him hope, given him a reason to sort of look forward to getting out of Pentonville before everything in his life went to hell in a handbasket. The girl that he seemed to keep bumping into lately.

The girl he'd sort of dreamt of finding while he was still in Pentonville, before the rape and everything that happened with that. Everything he was still getting over now if he had to be totally honest with himself. Not to mention all of that, but his painful breakup with Kiki was still a fresh wound. He just.. he wasn't ready now.

But he damn sure couldn't make himself overlook Lana either, apparently, because he was trying his best right now and nothing was working. Buttons gave way to I Don't Need A Man and jokingly, Lana took a mic, started to sing, dancing around, doing the chair dance she'd demonstrated moments before while Buttons was still playing.

Michael coughed and wondered to himself what she'd actually been like when she'd written the journal full of things she felt for him, dreamt about him. He vaguely remembered her being a lot shyer back then. And definitely cute. Not sexy like she'd sort of evolved into now, but cute. She'd had these big glasses and she wore a lot of secondhand clothing.

He remembered seeing her at a park with younger siblings maybe also.

The sudden appearance of her standing in front of him, hand on her hip as she danced around the crowd gathered had him coughing a little. "Whoa, Michael.. Don't choke, huh?" she joked with a teasing wink as she quickly darted away from his side of the room and over to another side of the crowd. The songs ended and Lucy clapped and then asked Lana the big question.. "So.. Do you think you can teach all of them that before the Nurses Ball in four days?"

"I can give it a try." Lana said as she smiled a little and then looked at her watch. She swore and grabbed her leather jacket, the tote bag she'd come in carrying and her car keys and headed quickly for the door. Michael stopped her and said with a smile, "That was.. It was interesting."

"It's not a big deal. I'm actually not that great.. Magic Milo and the Wands, now.. That was fucking amazing." Lana admitted honestly, Michael chuckling as he turned pink in the face and said quietly, "It's not that good."

"Like hell. You could be onto something, Michael. I hate to leave but I've gotta go, now.. My shift at that club started about ten minutes ago.. Already in enough shit with the big boss man. I'll see you around?"

"Yeah.. We live in the same apartment building.. We'll see each other around." Michael confirmed as he leaned in the door way watching her walk out of the room and then out of the doors in the lobby, biting the plastic spoon's handle. Morgan made him jump when he laughed and asked from behind "Who's that?"

"Just a girl I went to school with.. Someone I barely know.."

"But you wish you knew better, huh?" Morgan asked with a smirk as he elbowed his older brother. Michael glared and then said "It'd never happen.. Besides.. The way she felt back then.. She probably doesn't now. People grow and change."

"Michael, she was dancing in front of you."

"And in front of at least 5 other men, Morgan. Means nothing, besides.. Kiki.."

"was both of our mistakes, Mike, damn. Are you really going to turn monk on me?"

"It's just not the right time, Morgan." Michael said as Morgan coughed to cover his saying 'Bullshit' and then said casually, "Well if you don't make a move? Some other guy will.. And if she's the one who wrote that journal, Michael.. Don't you owe it to yourself to at least try?"

"I'm messed up, Morgan, this is way more complicated than that." Michael protested as Morgan shoved his brother out the door and called out "Find those Corinthos cahones." before shutting the door to the ballroom leaving Michael standing in the hallway. He grumbled and then looked at the door. Then it hit him.. She worked at that cabaret down by the docks.

Where crimes tended to happen a lot.

"I could just go in and get a drink or something.." Michael muttered as he walked out of the lobby and got into his car. He knew that it'd be weird, his showing up at random, and he almost didn't go, but Morgan's somewhat taunting him earlier before he left sort of encouraged him onward. A few minutes later, he slid onto a barstool and ordered a round, then the lights went low and somewhere in the room the song 'I'm A Good Girl' began to play and the next thing he knew he was getting an excellent view of a childhood crush, all grown up.

He coughed and for a split second, he had to fight back the urge to grab her and put a jacket on her, carry her out of here. The song e nded and most of the guys in the room were whistling, a few calling out encore, but she saw him and for a moment, her eyes widened in slight shock.

As soon as Lana picked him out of the crowd her heart sort of started to race and she had to catch her breath. Her face flushed bright pink and she felt more naked than she'd ever felt in her whole life, honestly. She took a few deep and calming breaths and slunk over to the bar, took back over her station as bartender and promptly heard him ask, "So this is your work?"

"It pays the bills and keeps me from going into debt up to my eyeballs with student loans, so yeah." Lana said as she smiled and poured him another shot, poured herself one too because seeing him out in the crowd had bought back all that adolescent unsure awkwardness in her and damned if she didn't actually need a shot right now because of it.

"What are you going to college for?" Michael asked as she smiled and said in a quiet tone of voice, "I wanna be an elementary school teacher."

He smiled. She'd always liked kids when they were younger.

"What about you?"

"I work at ELQ." Michael answered as he smiled and shrugged then said dismissively, "It's a job." as she looked at him, then burst into laughter. "You're a suit? I never thought that would happen.." she said as her laughter trailed off. Michael chuckled and nodded then said "Me either.. I wanted to open an auto shop or something.. Then I got sent to Pentonville.. I mean I still could, but the company needs me."

"So it's an obligation?"

"Somewhat, yeah.. What time do you get off?" he asked her casually, brow raising when she stated with a laugh "Four am." and then asked him "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing it's just.. This part of town.."

"I grew up, Michael, on this part of town.. Trust me, I know how to handle me. I've been doing it since I was about 8." Lana stated as she poured them both another shot. "You though.. Think you oughta be driving yourself back?"

"I'll call a cab."

"No need.. I'll drive you.. Not like we're not going to the same place, right?" Lana asked as he nodded and then said "True." then asked "So, do you get breaks?"

"Maybe, why?"

"Maybe you want to dance?" he asked on a whim. She looked at him a moment as her heart raced in her chest. Biting her lower lip she nodded and smiled then said "That'd be okay. You don't still step on toes, right?"

"That was 7th grade." Michael chuckled as she looked at him and then laughed a little, surprised he remembered that. "I can't believe you remembered that." she admitted as she raked a hand through her hair and stared at him intently for a few moments.

He thought to himself _'Oh, that's not all I remember.. But I'm not going to bring that up yet. Soon, maybe, not yet though. No sense in rushing this.' _ as he looked at her and then asked her, "What'd you do after Madison?"

"Moved to Las Vegas for a year or two. I only just moved back here, actually." Lana admitted as he looked at her and asked "Why Vegas?"

"Because my parents.. Things fell apart during my senior year and I wound up living with an aunt or something. It wasn't too bad so I kinda just stayed on after. Worked at this little burlesque club, started going to university.. Then I got homesick I guess and now here I am." she said as she looked at him and thought to herself _'Not that I'm going to admit it, but I found out from friends you were finally out of Pentonville.. And single again.. And I just got curious.. But for now, I'm gonna be vague. Not like you'd ever go for trash like me anyway.'_

A slower song started just as her break began and he stood. She slid over the bartop and let him lead her out on the floor. He smiled down at her and then said aloud "I'm actually kind of glad we ran into each other again."

"Me too." she admitted with a smile. They danced and when the song ended, she reluctantly let him go and walked back to the bar, getting back to work. He sat back down at the bar, to her surprise. She looked at him and then said "Another round?"

"Sure.. I mean you said you'd drive me back." Michael said as he watched the other bargoers carefully, watched her and the way she moved when she wasn't looking. How had he not noticed her more back then?


	4. Wine & Conversation

_**CHAPTER THREE  
**_

_**WINE AND CONVERSATION  
**_

"So.. this is my place.. Wanna come in for a drink or something?" Lana asked as she turned the key in the lock of her small studio apartment two floors above the one Michael himself actually lived in. She turned on a light and slid her feet out of the shoes she wore, turned on the radio, Florida Georgia Line filled the room quietly and she walked into her kitchen, leaving him to roam around the living area, look at the pictures on her shelves, the books lying around, the decorations, all a way to sort of get to know her a little better without having to ask any obvious and awkward questions, even though he was dying to do that very thing. She called out from the kitchen "Moscato or Chianti?"

"Whatever you pour is okay." Michael said as he looked at a picture, it had to be an older one, a family photo at that. He noticed that nobody in the photograph actually seemed happy to be having their picture taken as a family. His mind went back to something he'd witnessed when they'd been younger, on an afternoon when her father showed up at school to pick her up and he was obviously beyond the normal level of drunken jerk.

She walked into the room and tapped his shoulder, held out a wine glass. "It's not that fancy crap." she stated as she took a long sip from her own wine glass and looked up at him, asked him simply, "What made you show up at the club earlier? I mean was it like an accident that you showed up or..." while biting one of her distractingly full lips and holding his gaze intently. He faltered a moment, not really sure how he should even begin to go about answering what she asked and finally he said with a shrug, "Just wanted to grab a drink on my way back here. I saw you go in and thought I'd check it out." while smiling at her. It was the truth, not the whole truth, but almost the whole truth, so he didn't feel bad about saying it.

_'Tell her why, Michael, go on..' _his conscience urged but he ignored it and sipped the wine, said offhandedly, "This is actually better than the expensive crap." as he looked at her and asked casually, a curious look in his eyes as he did so, "What made you work there?"

"I like to live dangerously." Lana joked as she answered in a more serious tone, "They get better tips than most places. Most nights I'm easily clearing at least 300 bucks. Being a college girl and knowing that you have high student loans, Michael, will really put a fire under your ass to make the money.. What about you? I mean what made you pick being a suit? I gotta say, I always sorta pictured you working with your hands." as she sipped wine and held his gaze. She was looking at him intently as if she wanted to listen to him, as if she really wanted to know more about him.

Nobody had, not in a long time.

It felt good to have that. And he wanted to know more about her, so sipping his wine, he shrugged and said casually, "It just sort of happened, only recently, actually.. I'm a manager at Pozzulos too, I work with my dad." as she nodded and said quietly, "Yeah, I've seen you there. Occasionally I go by and grab a pizza or something, I mean your dad's restaurant is pretty much the only damn place in town that actually makes the stuff right. What do you mean it only just happened though?"

"The board voted." Michael said as he gulped down more wine and looked at her as she moved around her small and warmly decorated, homely apartment. She called out from the next room "Just getting comfortable." as he tried not to picture her getting comfortable. Or the dance shed' done in the rehearsals for the Nurses Ball either.

He coughed as she walked back out into the main room in pajama bottoms and a modest lace trimmed camisole, a bandanna tied into her hair to keep some of it out of her eyes. "I like your hair.. You let it grow out."

"Yeah. I like it better this way. I don't think I'll ever cut it again. So, Michael, how's life been since Madison Prep? Mine's been an adventure, that's for sure." she said as she flipped the song from an Adele song to a song called Some Nights. Laughing, she turned to face him and said "I can't believe we ran into one another like this. I'd actually been wondering if you were still kicking around Port Charles."

He chuckled and sipping what was left of his wine he sat down next to her when she sat on the couch and sighing, he looked at his hands and admitted "My life's sort of a series of ups and downs. For every good thing that happens, the bad things follow. But it's been okay, I guess.. I mean I'm not doing what I thought I'd do when I graduated, Pentonville kind of messed some of it up."

She nodded thoughtfully and said aloud "It don't have to, Mike." as she looked at him, sipped the last of her wine and moved a little closer before finishing, "And life's like that, I mean there's good and bad.. Sometimes it's not about waiting for the storm to pass.. It's about learning to dance in the rain. I kinda figured that one out the hard way."

He nodded and said quietly, "Good thought to have." as he looked at her and smiled, shrugged and pointed out "I have to be boring you to death." as she shook her head vigourously. "No, not at all.. I hardly ever get anybody to actually talk to, I mean.. I'm busy most of the time. When I'm not I'm sleeping. This is nice."

"It is." he answered as he leaned in and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. She bit her lower lip and then said quietly, "Thanks." as she looked at her hands for a moment and then at him. He was staring at her as if he wanted to say something, but instead, he lookd at the clock and said casually, "I should really get going. You're probably drop dead tired."

"A little. Don't be a stranger, huh?"

"I don't plan on it." he said as he walked out of her apartment door wondering if she felt anything that he had just now. They were just sort of connecting and truth be told, he wasn't sure if he wanted to stop it.

But he did wonder if she'd forgotten all those things she'd written back then. Or if she still remembered and maybe, just maybe, still felt them. Maybe if he tried, this could work out for him and he'd finally get a chance to connect with an old crush.


	5. Another Accidental Run In Pt I

_**CHAPTER FOUR  
**_

_**ANOTHER ACCIDENTAL RUN IN**_

The rain was pouring, she was soaked to the bone when she dashed into the elevator, which had been left open as if someone had held it for her. She leaned heavily against a wall and Michael asked with a shake of his head, "Do you not own an umbrella?"

"I do, but.. That blackout last night knocked out my power. Which killed my alarm. Which is why when I woke up almost 10 minutes later than usual, I didn't think to grab the damn thing on my way out the door. So.. How was your first day as a suit?"

"It was interesting. My aunt's going to fight for her position in ELQ. I really, really hope this doesn't get as messy as I'm afraid it will." Michael said quietly, as she looked at him and then shrugged, said calmly, "So what if it does? I'd think restaurant manager suits you better anyway.. You were always in the back, cooking. I found out, sadly, today at my lunch break.. You are the magic behind the pizza at Pozzulos."

He blushed a little then said "I am not."

"You are. The guy who was makin 'em today got the damn crusts all wrong. So in order for me not to starve, Michael, might be best if you go back?"

He chuckled. She'd been trying to make him feel better about his lousy day at work and it was obvious by his laughter that it'd worked to some degree.

His phone rang. It was Kiki and he slid it back into his pocket after hitting ignore for only the fifth time that day. Every since he'd seen her with Morgan and known the two of them would never be done as far as each of them went, he'd been distancing himself until he'd finally broken things off with her as best as he could.

Morgan, as a result, was thriving now. He had Kiki back, he was in Michael's old job at Pozzulos, things couldn't be better for his younger brother and Michael, while being a little less than happy, wasn't entirely displeased with the way things had worked themselves out.

His uncle Jason had always told him that things would work themselves out for everyone, eventually.

Lana's cell phone rang and she had a dark look in her eyes for a moment, then swearing in what sounded like either Spanish or Portugese, she put the phone into her pocket.

"Everything okay?" he asked in concern as she shrugged and said "Considering how good at being an idiot I am, they're not better nor are they no worse than the usual." keeping her answer deliberately vague. She looked at him and said offhandedly, "My ex."

"Ahh."

"Yeah. He's your typical lying douchebag who'll fuck anything in a skirt then try and blame you for it. I'm amazed that I lasted as long as I did with the guy, honestly. And disgusted. Very disgusted with myself."Lana said as she thought about what lie ahead for her, raising a child alone.

Because somehow, by the grace of God above, her kid was never going to grow up in the hell she had. And she'd die before she told her ex about a child. Or go back to him for that child's sake. She was old enough to know that staying together for the kids was a bad idea.

He hadn't hit her or anything, but he hadn't treated her with the respect and love she'd deserved, either. And Lana wasn't about to stand for that.

She loved her kid enough to know that those kinds of relationships between parents didn't make for a stable and healthy or happy childhood.

And her little baby, whether it be a boy or a girl, was going to have normal, damn it, no matter what price Lana had to pay for that to happen.

The door to the elevator slipped open on another floor between the floors they lived on, and the reporter stepped on, looking at Michael with a predatory look.

"She your new girlfriend?"

"You always this nosy on an elevator?" Lana retorted, making the mockingly almost acidic smirk drop from the male reporter's face as he mumbled something.

Michael edged closer to her, almost as if an insinct took over and put his arm around her, in a friendly way, that neither of them mistook but the reporter, of course, did, and commented on it, something to the affect of asking "So.. Is this why you and Ms. Jerome ended things? You were cheating on her with a common stripper?"

"Actually, you halfwit, I'm not a stripper.. Just a bartender who on occasion gets on top of a bar and shakes her ass. No clothing comes off. I have been a stripper before.." Lana answered candidly, smirking when she looked at the reporter and said calmly, "Whatever you think you got, sir.. I'd give it up now. Because there's nothing going on here, anybody with half a brain can see that.. Why in the hell would a rich guy like him associate with the likes of me?"

The elevator doors slid open and Michael chuckled as he looked at her. She sighed and said quietly, "Sorry. It's just been a really, really rough day."

"I can tell.. Wanna go get something to eat and talk about it." Michael asked as Lana shrugged and then said quietly, "It is what it is. Just hope that asshole didn't cause you too much trouble."

"I'm not worried about him."

"Don't worry about me, either. I've got me." Lana informed cautiously as he looked at her and said with a shake of his head "You're my friend. I'm gonna worry about you whether you want me to or not." as she looked at him, smiled warmly and then said in a softer tone of voice, "Thanks.. I mean I don't have many people willing to call themselves my friend. Kinda standoffish." to which Michael nodded and said casually, "Me too. But I think you're my friend, I mean we had drinks the other night, we talked until well into early morning. That's kinda what friendship is.. I mean last time I checked."

"Me too." Lana said as she looked at Michael and bit her lower lip then said quietly, "This guy, he's.. He thinks that he's gonna be bigger than Tony Montana one day. I mean he's got an ego that's out of this world. It never fails to amuse me just how highly he thinks of himself. Problem is, he thinks I belong to him. I didn't see it that way. I got out now he's hell bent on making me pay for it. I'm better off, really." as she twisted a strand of hair around her fingertips and studied him intently.

Why couldn't she have ran into Michael again before she got herself into this mess? Why couldn't she have had the nerve to tell him back then, how she felt? And why couldn't she just accept the fact that now might just be too late. He was probably only talking to her to be nice. He'd always been a nice guy, even if he was one of the most closed off and private guys that'd walked the halls of Madison Prep when they were both students there.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Michael asked as he looked at her intently and wondered why it looked like the weight of the world was on her mind and her shoulder. She'd had a bad day, it wasn't any of his business. That's what he kept telling himself at least, but it wasn't working yet.

There was just something about her that made him want to protect her or something. And for a split second, before they parted ways, he found himself wondering why he hadn't met her before he'd ever met Kiki? And then common sense took over and reminded him, _'Even if you had, Michael.. You'd have been a basketcase, a walking time bomb. She didn't need or deserve that. But you have a chance now. All you can do is try, right?' _as he looked at her and said quietly, "So.. How about that bite to eat? We could both use the conversation and distraction.. Please? You'd be doing me a favor, I don't wanna go into my apartment and warm up yet another microwave meal."

"Sure." Lana said as she smiled and let him push the down arrow, then let him lead her out of the apartment building, and to the car he drove. Her heart raced in her chest as she tried to sort out whether this was a date or just two people going to get food and talking to keep from being lonely. She figured that for her own sake (as well as her unborn child's) she'd better not go assuming anything. After she told him what she was up against, he'd surely stop being her friend, she figured, so it was for the best that she didn't let herself fall any harder or get anymore attached.

But she had the feeling, as they ate and talked, and she told him more about herself, personal things that hardly anyone knew about her, it was going to be a harder task than she anticipated.


	6. Lazy Saturdays And Old Movies

**CHAPTER FIVE**

_**OLD MOVIES**_

She'd just gotten settled on her couch, fully prepared for a day of nothing but nonstop 80's movies and junk food when the door was knocked on. She raised a brow and stood, walked to the door and peered through the peephole. Michael stood there and he said through the door, "So.. I thought that maybe since neither of us ever seem to have to work on the weekends, we could hang out? I mean if you're busy.." as she turned the knob and threw the door open, stepped aside and said with a joking smile, "Not at all.. It's 80's movies and all the junk I can stand for me today.. If you wanna do something else though we can." as she nodded to the couch.

He snickered a moment and then held out the dvds he'd grabbed on his way out of his own apartment and then said sheepishly "Great minds, huh?"

"I guess so.. No fucking way.. You have the Lost Boys? That's the one movie I don't have and I love it." Lana said as she bounced around on her tiptoes excitedly before blushing a little and saying "I was just about to watch the Goonies."

"I haven't seen that movie in so long."

"It's one of the best worst movies of the 80's. I love it. I used to have such a huge crush on Corey Feldman back then." Lana blurted which made Michael give her a raised brow to which she simply shrugged and said "To each their own." while thinking to herself that she had always had an eye for blond guys apparently.

"So.. Are you feeling any better than you were in the elevator last week?" Michael asked as she nodded and said quietly, almost in a solemn tone, "I am actually. Just trying to process everything, scared to death when the ex from Hell hears about it he'll start causing even more problems for me, but for now, I'm just doing what I can to keep myself calm and preoccupied so I don't worry about it so much. Stress isn't good for me or the kid."

"Which brings me to my next present.. I got you these." Michael said as he held out the Nicorette patches. She looked at him, and then at the box of patches in his hand and said with a smile, "And again, I say it.. Great minds. I should be set for a while now, as far as those things go. That gum works very very shitty. Like, I went through almost 2 packs of it and then I switched to the patches because Dr. Westbourne suggested it, but only the low dosage ones, since I only smoked a pack a week, maybe every 3 days tops.. Working so much better."

"That's good." Michael said as he stepped into the apartment and sniffed the air.

"Hope you like popcorn and nachos.. Because until I learn how to cook without burning creation to the ground.." Lana gestured to the kitchen as Michael chuckled and then said "My mom's that way."

She gaped at him a moment, shocked. She'd never assumed that Carly Corinthos Jacks couldn't cook, she never would have guessed it in a thousand years. But then that might have explained how they always seemed to run into each other at Pozzulos or Kelly's on certain week nights.

"Yeah.. I see her at Pozzulos and Kellys.. A lot." Lana said with an amused grin as she walked into the kitchen and dished out nachos into two bowls, added cheese and black olives, bacon bits. "Hope you like loaded nachos?"

"Loaded?"

"Yeah, with olives, jalapenos and bacon bits. That's the only way I eat mine. It is amazing." Lana called out from the kitchen, shocked as she turned around to find him standing behind her. Their bodies brushed and she bit her lower lip.

Damn horomones.

He was standing in her kitchen.. If teenage Lana could see this now..

She'd have fainted.

Lana, however, tried to remain calm.. Even when their bodies brushed against each other again as she reached for something at the same time as he reached for something on the opposite side of the too small kitchenette. They laughed and held each other's gaze for a few moments and then his eyes caught on the Bon Jovi poster on the accent wall and he couldn't help but raise a brow and laugh at her a little while shaking his head.

"What? I was born a Jersey girl, gotta support the local talent." Lana said with a shrug as he said aloud "But they're older than you."

"But they make damn good music."

"That they do." Michael agreed as she turned to him and held out the bowl. He snickered as he saw the cheese smeared along her cheek. "you have cheese." he said as she laughed and he reached out as if on instinct and wiped it away.

She'd always been a messy eater, he remembered, even when they were going to Madison Prep.. Not that he'd watched her or anything.. He had, but he wasn't willing to admit that out loud. What if she just wanted friendship now?

He didn't want to force himself on her, especially not with his issues.

He didn't want to do something one day and hurt her somehow.

And even though he didn't have the rages anymore, he was afraid that they'd return one day.

They walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. She scooted just a little closer and they started the Lost Boys, talking as they did so.

By the time the movie was partially done, it was almost 1 and she'd fallen asleep with her head on his lap. He smiled a little and poked her awake, she shot up like she'd been launched out of a canon as she said something to the effect of "I swear to God Almighty, Nurse Johnson, I wasn't sleepin."

He chuckled and said "You missed at least half of the movie."

"Damn it."

"I can restart it."

"No, it's cool.. Just sleepier than I thought I guess." Lana admitted as she bit her lower lip, her skin heating as she realized how she'd fallen asleep.

And how good it'd felt.


	7. A Run In With The Ex From Hell Pt I

**CHAPTER SIX**

_**GET ANOTHER BOYFRIEND  
**_

The shouting echoed down through the ceiling and Michael rolled over in bed, looked at the clock on his nightstand. He knew that Lana's ex had come over earlier that day, and he knew that Lana was most likely going to tell the guy she was pregnant. Not that Michael thought personally the guy deserved to know or anything, - in Michael's honest opinion, the guy honestly didn't - but Lana seemed to think that the truth was going to come out sooner or later and it'd be better if it came out now and things were over with, she could move on (if the ex in question let her move on, that is.) and start putting her life back together.

They talked a lot now, so Michael knew pretty much everything about Lana, her situation and what she intended to do about it. And still, for whatever reason, he hadn't told her about Kristina finding her journal back when they were in school, nor had he told her about his feelings for her then, or the way they were returning now. The simplest fact of the matter really, was that he didn't know how to deal with them himself. He wanted to tell her, but everytime he tried, he always backed out at the last minute.

He was just getting out of a relationship himself. And he was still dealing with the things that had happened to him while in Pentonville. The things that nobody really knew about. Which was another thing that he hadn't told her yet. He just didn't know how. She kept nothing from him, here he was keeping a few rather important things from her. It made him feel guilty.

The arguing reached a fever pitch and a door slammed above. He sat up and pulled on the white t shirt he'd taken off before getting into bed that night, and standing, he stretched. He slipped out of his apartment, careful to lock the door behind him and make sure he had his key, then he walked up the stairs, waiting at the end of the hallway for a few moments, out of sight, watching Lana's ex as the man paced the hallway, drunk, swearing at a closed door.

He stepped out, though he wasn't sure what he thought he was actually going to do or anything and said calmly, "She told you to leave. Take a hike." crossing his arms over his chest as he stared the other male down, challenging him silently. The guy laughed and then said calmly, in a deathly quiet voice, "Or what, Corinthos?"

"Or I'll kick your ass. Just leave. It's over and the sooner you accept that, man, the better off things will be." Michael said calmly as he wondered yet again what he was doing, even, getting in her business like this. Sure, she was his best female friend at the moment, and sure, he was falling for her, but she'd specifically begged him not to get in the middle of this. In fact, she seemed scared to death, which was a rare thing for her.

Of the man standing in front of him who was right now scratching his head and sneering. "That a threat? What are you gonna do, huh? Run and tell daddy, Jailbird?" the man said as Michael shook his head and then said quietly, "Nope, not at all."

The man raised his brow and Michael grabbed the collar of his t shirt then said calmly and deliberately, "But I will kick your ass." before letting him go, letting him fall in a crumpled heap on the hallway floor. The door to Lana's apartment opened and Lana stood in it, leaned casually, looking down at her ex. She looked at Michael, concern in her eyes as she said quietly, "You didn't have to do that, Michael."

"You're my friend, Lana, I wasn't going to let him hurt you." Michael said as Lana looked down at her ex and poked at him where he lie on the hallway floor with her foot before saying quietly, "And this.. It's exactly why you're not coming anywhere near me or my kid. Ever. This kid, as far as I am concerned, has nothing to do with you except the sperm you donated." and turning her attention back to Michael who said quietly, "And trust me, man.. I'm not gonna let you near her either."

Lana groaned internally, she hadn't meant for Michael and the whole damn apartment building to hear her going at it with her ex, she thought those kinds of things were trashy as hell, but he'd come over drunk and angry, trying to get mean with her. And even though she'd been afraid enough to throw up while it was happening, she'd had the presence of mind to know NOT to let the guy even think he smelled fear on her.

Her father had been just like her ex, and she knew perfectly well what her father was capable of when he'd smelled fear.

The thought, even now, was enough to make her wince and Michael walk over, stand closer to her. "What are you waiting on, man? If you're not gone in ten seconds.." he s tarted as the man got up, glaring, but waved his hands and stopped in front of Lana as he said "This ain't over, babe. Not by a long shot. You're not gonna get away with shoving me out of your life."

"Wanna bet?" Lana asked, a non amused scowl on her face as she looked at Michael and muttered quietly, "I'm sorry if all that woke you up. You didn't have to come down here though.. He's dangerous.."

"You don't know me that well." Michael pointed out as he helped her into her apartment and asked in concern, "He didn't touch you, right?" as Lana shook her head and paced, still scared and angry from the whole confrontation just now. Michael watched her and then said quietly, "I didn't have to come up here, Lana. I came up here because you're my friend and I wanted to." while holding her gaze, his fingertips tilting her chin up as he managed a smile. She bit her lower lip and nodded sleepily, she'd been sleeping before the ex from hell burst in and woke her, and she said quietly, "I know. I just.. I don't want everyone else paying for my big mistake. It's bad enough my kid will."

"No, they won't."

"You don't know that, Michael." Lana said quietly as Michael nodded and said with a smallish smile, "They won't, Lana, because you're my friend. I'm not gonna just turn my back on you."

"You don't know that. You really don't know me." Lana said as Michael smiled a little and admitted mysteriously, "I know you better than you actually think I do." which made her raise a brow. "Huh?"

"Nothing, I mean.. It's just.." Michael paced as he stopped, turned to look at her and admitted "When I first came to Madison Prep.. I'd just gotten out of that coma.. You and a few other people were pretty much the only ones who didn't look at me like I was a freak.. I mean you really didn't talk to me, but you did wave and smile, you didn't go out of your way to avoid me like pretty much half the other students did when I lost it on Kiefer."

"That asshole deserved his beating. I always thought you had every right to do that, Kristina was your half sister. I'd have done it.." Lana trailed off as she looked at him and then said quietly, "Sometimes I'd sort of watch you.. I mean I wanted to talk to you but I was fairly certain you wouldn't talk to me." which made him look at her with his brow raised and ask her in curiousity "Why though?"

"Just because. I mean a lot of things were going on then. A lot of stuff went around about me and I figured that you'd heard it or something. I don't know, really. Just shy I guess? Any thousand of other reasons that a teenage girl doesn't actually talk to the guy she... Nevermind." Lana laughed a little as she raked her hand through her hair and sat down in a white wooden chair at her small dining table, looking up at him.

_'So she did really feel all that. The more important thing, Michael, is does she feel all that now?' _he thought to himself as he looked at her and chuckled a little, his own face a little red. She laughed and then asked him "So.. Do you want a bottled water? Might as well sit up and talk a little bit, I mean you did pretty much save my ass just now."

"Sure. I'd like that." Michael admitted with a smile as he began to wonder why exactly he wasn't trying to progress things between them. They were already slowly crossing the threshold from friend to something else. He didn't want to rush her, and he didn't want to make her feel obligated to return his feelings, but it was getting a little hard to keep from telling her everything, the more time he spent with her.

Maybe soon he'd do that. The timing was almost perfect.. He just needed to be sure..


End file.
